1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope cleaning/disinfecting apparatus that cleans/disinfects an endoscope, and an endoscope cleaning method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A configuration of an endoscope cleaning/disinfecting apparatus is well known in which an endoscope conduit is connected to an endoscope connection section of an endoscope cleaning/disinfecting apparatus, and a cleaning liquid is supplied from the endoscope connection section into the endoscope conduit to clean an inside of the endoscope conduit.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 58-156384 discloses a configuration of an endoscope cleaning/disinfecting apparatus in which a two-phase gas-liquid fluid which is a mixture of a cleaning liquid and compressed air is supplied into an endoscope conduit from an endoscope cleaning/disinfecting apparatus to remove filth or the like stuck to the inner wall of the endoscope conduit using the gas phase.
Here, a configuration is also well known which is different from Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 58-156384 in which a two-phase gas-liquid fluid is supplied into the endoscope conduit. More specifically, a configuration is well known in which after filling the inside of the endoscope conduit with a liquid, a gas under high pressure is supplied into the endoscope conduit to thereby use liquid removing capability of the gas when removing the liquid from the inside of the endoscope conduit and improve washability in the endoscope conduit rather than simply supplying a gas-liquid mixture into the endoscope conduit.